SNL Digital Short era sans the Lonely Island

Saturday Night Live has been a part of my life since the 9th grade. I've probably seen 80% of the episodes aired from the year 2000 to today.

Their digital shorts are one of my favorite things during the show. [NOT to be confused with the early 2000s "TV Fun house cartoons".] Most of the greatest digital shorts are songs and can be watched over and over again. Perhaps a great production ploy with for goal to put out the catchiest tune possible so you run to youtube and share it with all of your friends.

When Samberg, the face of the Lonely Island, left last season, I was definitely worried. Was I never going to see another quality digital short again? Would SNL be able to produce similar and up to par short form content without the Lonely Island present? Thankfully this past week, they aired "Boy Dance Party".

Phew! Guess it is doable after all! 'Boy Dance Party" definitely made up for the rest of the show, which was for lack of a better word "Meh". At least one thing is clear, there is hope for digital short survival post Lonely Island apocalyptic era.

Until the next installment, here is my top 10 from the past 8 years:

10.
Lazy Sunday

SNL - Lazy Sunday by steveo_russianspy

9.
Iran So Far Away

Saturday Night Live - Iran' so far sur WAT.tv sélectionnée dans Humour

 8.

I'm On A Boat

7.
Mother Lover

6.
Like A Boss

5. 
Laser Cats

4.
People Getting Punched Before Eating

3.
Jizz In My Pants

2.
Dick in A Box

1.
Jack Sparrow

What else left but an ode to one of the greatest shows on Television: Breaking Bad

I just binged watched the ENTIRE #BreakingBad series. I know I am not the only one. Thousands of other audience members like myself decided to give themselves backaches in front of their screen (woohoo Netflix!) and breathed fictional blue meth for countless hours, days before and after the show's series finale. As a new die hard Breaking Bad fan, I cannot help but feel so unbelievably guilty for not watching this before. Hell, since I'm unloading here, I actually watched the first episode over a year ago and didn't keep going. Not because it was bad, absolutely not, I just forgot, didn't have the time, you know the story. Thank God I came to my senses, and thank God for peer and social pressure! In a way, I wish I was part of the original band wagon; the same way I was for the show Scrubs for example. Perhaps, in that alternate universe, I would have gone to a Breaking Bad series finale party, and watching the last episode would have felt differently, maybe more nostalgic in a way. But when I really think about it, having had the the ability to watch everything continuously, and by continuously I mean I-almost-gave-myself-UTIs-not-going-to-the-bathroom-I-wanted-to-keep-on-watching-continuously, was absolutely incredible. I can't even begin to think of the anxiety original fans must have felt over the last 5 years waiting for their DVRs to fill up on Sunday night. Luckily, I got to enjoy every next chapter of this insane adventure by just waiting for the 14 or so seconds to countdown on my Netflix account at the end of each episode.

Unlike other shows, and perhaps because I binged watched all at once in the span of 1.5 - 2 weeks, I truly felt the darkness these characters were living in. It's almost as if I equated whatever dilemmas or qualms I had in my life and brought them into that similar intense and somber world. Even though the story-line is as FAR away from your regular day to day (hopefully for you), you somehow related back and felt so close to everything going on.This darkness I speak of, is a really strange feeling; and even though this darkness in question is no "unicorns & rainbows", it was okay by my standards. Mostly, because the fact that a television show was able create this sensation, it made it all worth it. Worth it in such a fabulous way, especially as a producer.  I was discussing my Breaking Bad feelings with one of my fellow producing friends yesterday, and we both agreed, if I could make something half as good as Breaking Bad in my lifetime as a producer, man! I'll die happy. The brilliance in direction, writing, acting, production design (did you see that insane purple in the Schrader house!?!), the cinematography, the makeup, it is pure artistic genius. I may have even bumped a certain celebrity on my fiance-approved (right hunny?) laminated top 5 fantasy list to make room for Aaron Paul. And any of my friends will tell you, I don't say that often.

Of course to play devil's advocate, I wanted to present the very minuscule problems I had in some of the episodes. And if you are reading this Vince Gilligan, Bryan Cranston and other associated producers (dream on, Sarah!) just skip to the next paragraph - I love you don't hate me. Nothing is perfect. Just like any human being on this planet, no one is flawless. Same thing for a television show or a movie. Imperfections leave room for more discussion, meaning more Breaking Badness and that's okay with me! So here are the 3 (only 3 among the 4390259827984242 amazing things about this show) things I merely slightly on such a small dosage disliked: a) I do feel like that plane crash was a little far fetched. b) The episode "Fly" was a little rampant for my taste (but forgiven because you get to see lots of Aaron Paul eye-candy). c) I wished I would have found out more about that mysterious romantic? connection you see in between Walt & Gretchen (AKA forever in my mind Susan, the lesbian wife of Ross' ex on Friends). THAT'S IT!

****Spoiler Alert****
What is so satisfying about the last season of Breaking Bad is how everything single loose end is tied. I have never seen any show do such an amazing job at this before. Jesse finds out Walt poisoned Brock, Walt Jr. finds out the truth, Hank finally handcuffs Heisenberg, Todd gets killed (Hellz YES!), Lydia will die of Ricin poisoning, Ricin is finally being put to good use, Walt's family will get its money (the original goal), the whole world finds out Walt is Heisenberg, Saul gets away by starting a new life, Gomez & Schrader's bodies will be found, Jesse is free (and most likely will be taking care of Brock), and Walt finally dies in peace.
***More Spoilers***
Hank's death was also part of tying the loose ends. But it was by far the most intense moment for me in the entire series. There were several episodes were I thought he was finished, but the character lived on all through the 5 seasons. And for him to die the way he did was just a stab in my heart. At that moment, I felt for the entire family and for their tragic loss. Even though I saw Hank as a villain of some sort, his death was very difficulty to take. And I know why! Because I couldn't help but root for Walt despite his monstrous actions (crazy what good writing can make you feel), I felt the traumatic pain he portrayed on his face when Hank got shot. For me, that was the most intense of scenes and therefore the best episode of the entire series. Way more powerful than the finale on some levels. I really felt like I needed a moment to recuperate, almost a moment of silence for DEA Agent Schrader. At that moment, you knew it was all over for Walt.
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END OF SPOILERS

If you have time on your hands, or contemplating starting a new show, I beg of you! Consider Breaking Bad. I usually don't obsess over hour long dramas but man this is worth every minute. As I just mentioned, I have become obsessed with everything Breaking Bad. Since I watched the finale, I've been glued to my computer watching every YouTube video I can find. From "Talking Bad", to late night interviews of cast members, Emmy acceptance speeches, you name it. PS -Do yourself a favor and watch Jimmy Fallon's Joking Bad if you haven't already.

One of the questions that everyone keeps asking Vince Gilligan is "What do you hope the legacy of Breaking Bad is". He usually answers by comparing his love for 60+ years old Twilight zone and how unborn children will still be watching it in the future. He knows that may not be the case with Breaking Bad in 60+ years, but here is what I think the legacy is: Because of my profound affinity for the show, I have been trying to find every excuse in the book to talk about it. My fiance [who has not watched it yet] wants to kill me, as I've joked multiple times that if all goes to hell his PhD science background could go to good. (I AM SO KIDDING by the way). Every time I see an old looking trailer in someone's driveway, I automatically assume meth has been cooked there. I have already naturally integrated in my daily life new vocabulary like "fat stacks", great expressions like "I am the one who knocks" or attributed "Heisenberg" as an adjective. I am also guilty of yelling "Yo" and "bitch" WAY too often these days. And without fail, I ask EVERYONE I meet if they have seen Breaking Bad in hope that they have or with luck started watching it so we can discuss. And I know I am not the only one doing this (see the article in my previous post as an example). The pretty large portion of american and other fans around the world are now swarming in this awesome Breaking Bad culture, and that for me is the ultimate legacy.

Heisenbergs

I am still in process of watching #BreakingBad. Just finished S5E2 so no spoilers please.
If you have pondered whether you should spend the time watching Breaking Bad, stop tiptoeing. If you have the time, do it. Not only is it a wonderfully written and acted show, but it is also a great documentary in itself. Think of it as Drug and money laundering 101.

If you are one of the many fans who spent the 54 or so episodes on the edge of your seats, take a look at this great article. It is an inside look at the congruent EDM & Molly cultures. Although this is not meth we are talking about, it is still part of the drug world we live in.

http://www.kissmyangeles.com/view/story/finding_molly

To quote the author "Breaking Bad is Real". Scary but probably not far from the truth. Maybe nothing like the good ol' chemistry teacher gone bad, but a somber story of similar nature for sure. There are probably quite a bunch of Heisenbergs out there, don't you think?

THE HUNGER GAMES: FALL TV PREMIERES - PART I : The Crazy Ones & Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Every fall, a large amount of new TV Shows premiere across our beloved major American networks. I like to think of it as every network going to war, fighting to the death until only a very small amount survive and are declared victorious.

Just as I discuss my thoughts and opinions on these premieres with my fellow TV lovers [for shameless and countless HOURS], I will be reviewing what I have seen so far here. Let's start with some of the brand new shows.

THE CRAZY ONES 

CBS 9/8c - Robin Williams, Sarah Michelle Gellar

When I first heard about Robin Williams coming back to Television I was genuinely surprised. When such a successful actor decides to come back to prime time television there is either a great script, or loads of money bags. In this case, the latter.

'The Crazy Ones' is one of those shows you wished so badly would be good. I mean come on Robin Williams teams up with Buffy the Vampire Slayer? There could be so much potential! Instead of the witty comedy you would be expecting, you are served with terrible dialogue, flat jokes and over-rehearsed Robin-William-bits and impressions you know all too well. The only thing that I would praise the show for is its production design, Robin William's insanely hairy arms and for the ladies: the handsome James Walk.

In the pilot, you find out the advertising firm Williams and Gellar run is risking the loss of one of their biggest clients "McDonald's". They try and save the day by hiring Kelly Clarkson to sing a new "Sexy" jingle. Although Clarkson is a big name among an American audience, she is pretty unknown to the rest of the world. A bad move by the producers. A show like this, could have perhaps survived a couple seasons with international sales because of their well-known Patch Adams / Vampire Slayer cast and celebrity guest stars. Unfortunately, for them having American Idol Clarkson show up as a center plot line in the first episode will do absolutely NOTHING for foreigners. The whole American Idol contestant wanting to be a new sex symbol joke will go unrecognized. Not the best first impression for a new show.

It always pains me to see classic celebrities like Williams fail in prime time. Hopefully this will become a bad and forgettable nightmare.

GRADE: D

Projected Life Expectancy: Half a season, depending on how much they promised Robin Williams

BROOKLYN NINE-NINE

FOX 830/730c - Andy Samberg, Andre Braugher

It is always interesting to see what recently graduated 'SNL' cast members end up doing. I absolutely adore Andy Samberg. So much that I was REALLY excited to see this new show. So excited, that perhaps I raised the bar a little to high for myself. Not too worry, I don't think 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' is a bad show. I just don't feel like it is most-amazing-new-show-on-the-planet status quite yet. 

In the pilot, every character was very well introduced. You knew right off the bat what kind of personality they have and what kind of trouble they would ultimately get themselves into. The show pushed you to like them however weird they may be. That is a commendable achievement. Although you truly wonder how they all ended up in the police force in the first place, you do understand this is a comedy and let that suspension of disbelief go. I am not dying to watch the next episode on my DVR. But I probably will because I need some Samberg candy and a decent laugh. I am not sure if this is Emmy worthy yet, but there could be some potential. Perhaps this is like 'Parks & Recs' and will pick up 2nd/3rd season.

And you can never hate on 'SNL' cast members. It is unconstitutional. 

GRADE: B

Projected Life Expectancy: Renewed for next year

Terrible Commercials. So bad, they actually work?

Think back to the last time you were watching TV and an AWFUL commercial came on. You died of laughter, wondered why on earth someone would make such a bad ad. Maybe you went online afterwards, looked it up on Youtube and posted it for your friends to see on Facebook or Twitter and mocked on how terrible it was.

There was this one commercial I cannot forget. It was for a local car dealership called "Seaport". They had a catchy tune; you know the kind that is super cliche and corny, it gets so stuck in your head that no matter how much AC/DC you may listen to, it just won't go away? The actors looked like friends of the dealership owner (they probably were) and the production value was far from being up to par.

Here you can take a look for yourself:

I apologize, now you will be singing the song in your car tomorrow morning.

It is easy to laugh at these horrendous production, but at the end of the day, aren't we talking about it right now? I have a theory that if these commercials are so awful, you actually end up remembering them, discussing them and therefore helping the original goal: passing on a message. The best form of publicity is word of mouth.

There was a silly ad back in LA for "Avocados from Mexico". My fiance and I still sing the jingle to this day any time we buy or eat avocados. And guess what, when we found the actual "Avocados from Mexico" brand of avocados at our supermarket, we had to purchase them!

So is the moral of the story: produce a really bad commercial and people will buy your product?
Does this creepy Pillsbury Toaster's Strudel ad make you want to buy more of their German inspired looking pop tarts?

Next time you see a bad commercial. Think twice before you make fun. Definitely laugh, because that is what you are supposed to do. As for the millions of dollars spent on ads for Superbowl Sunday, maybe they can learn a thing or to about  horribly-produced successful advertising.

Pump It!....Or not.

I have now lived in Oregon for almost a month. And so far the weirdest thing Oregonians practice would be NOT pumping their own gas. This is beyond strange to me. I am still having trouble wrapping my head around it. Yes, I am very aware that back in the day, this was a nationwide thing. Flashback circa 1907 or so, the first gas station was built. Up until 1947 all gas stations in the United States were Full Service [meaning someone came to pump your own gas while you waited and twiddled your thumbs in your car). Today, full service (at least in California) is where you have parked your car by mistake when pulling up at a gas station, realize by the time you get out of your car to pick up the nozzle, you see a guy excitedly running ready to pump your gas. You panic. You get back in your car in a crazy haste wave no with your hand to the poor man, screaming "I'm sorry, I made a mistake!", and move your car embarrassingly to the other side of the station. Back to the historical lesson; after the first self-service gas station opened in the US, the rest of the country caught on, and being able to pump your own gas quickly became second nature. Except for 2 states. That's right! Out of the 50 states, Oregon and New Jersey passed laws claiming that  professionals had to pump gas for you so that you don't catch on fire or something. Yeah, I get it, gas is flammable, bad things can happen. We all heard the tragic story of Derek's friends who were dancing to "Wake me up before you gogo" at the gas station while smoking and splashing themselves with gasoline. Yup, those poor son of bitches all died in a tragic gas explosion. Rest in P......wait a minute....
Now I kind of hope Ben Stiller directed that ridiculous scene in order to mock the states of of New Jersey and Oregon. My point is, how many idiots are there really in this world frolicking around gas stations nozzle in hand?

About 2 weeks ago, my lovely Prius was finally almost on empty. I pulled at the station, already uncomfortable knowing what was about to happen. At least 4 guys were on duty at the station. One came towards the car. To make things less awkward (for me), I opened the car door and stepped half-way outside and blurted right away: "Hi! I'm from California, I know I can't pump my own gas, so what do I do?". He proceeded to ask me if I was paying with cash? Credit card? Safeway (ie: Vons) rewards? No, yes and yes. He takes the card (me no-likey), inserts it in (because I am SO incapable of doing that by myself), asks me my zip code, punches it in. "Unleaded right? Where in California are you from" - Yay small talk is also included! ehhh, I'm being brat, he was nice. 34 dollars later, receipt in hand, I was on my way. Got in the car and felt like I was 16 again during the first week I got my licence.

Now, I truly wish that when back in California, while at the pump, an Oregonian car drives in and just waits for someone to come up and pump for them. Lazy NorthWesterners!

jk.

Just like sports, if you don't practice writing, you LOSE IT!...So read, don't read this blog. But for now, until the next big thing takes over my life, THE BLOG IS BACK!

As I mentioned in the title above, if you don't practice a skill, you end up losing it. Not completely...no... It's always hidden somewhere in that little brain of yours. But you end up sucking a little bit more at it. So in my case here: writing. You may wonder: what on earth is she talking about?! It's not like she was busy writing novels since March 2013 (the last dated post). Nope. But I was writing prompters, news pitches, emails, wayyyyy too many emails, and most of all I did not have time. No really, I had ZERO time. My job literally took over, and if I still want to have a life and be the busy-bee I love to be, you end up not touching your blog for over a year. I'm not going to lie, it is VERY possible I end up forgetting about this again very soon. But since I have some time now, why not get back at it?

This post felt like it was written as an apology to my non-existent readers and to the blog itself. Oh blog, I am so sorry to have forgotten you, please forgive me and my keyboard.

Moving on....